Brand:
Rolex
Model:
Datejust
Year:
1980
Reference:
16018
Warranty:
12 months
Overall Condition:
Very Good
Wear level Case:
Barely visible
Wear level Caseback:
Barely visible
Wear level Dial:
None
Wear level Crystal:
None
Wear level Bezel:
Barely visible
Wear level Bracelet Clasp:
Barely visible
Movement Type:
Automatic
Caliber:
3035
Case Material:
Yellow Gold
Case Diameter:
36 mm
Bezel Material:
Yellow Gold
Crystal:
Sapphire crystal
Dial Color:
Brown
Bracelet Material:
Yellow Gold
Bracelet Color:
Gold
Clasp Type:
Fold clasp
Clasp Material:
Yellow Gold
Functions:
Date, Central seconds, Screw-Down Crown, Quick Set, Vintage
The Datejust was introduced by Rolex in 1945 as the first self-winding chronometer wristwatch to show the date in a window at three, and from the start it came with the Jubilee bracelet. The reference 16018 arrived in 1977 with calibre 3035, which added a quick set date, and it was the first Datejust to carry a sapphire crystal. In the early 1970s Rolex had also begun to offer wood dials on the Datejust and the Day-Date, a decision that gave the most formal model of the house a surprisingly natural face.
This 16018 is in 18k yellow gold with a wood dial, and the wood is the point. It is cut, lacquered and fitted with gold baton indices, and the grain runs in warm orange and brown tones that no two dials share. It was not an easy material to work with, because many wood dials warped in production and were unusable, so gold Datejusts with a wood dial are scarce. Against the fluted bezel and the solid links of the Jubilee, the dial gives a formal watch something that feels hand made.